Milan Fashion Week: Gucci Spring/Summer 16

Gucci is once more given a geeky vintage-like injection of sparkly, multicoloured and decorated design under the direction of Alessandro Michele. For the Spring/Summer 16 collection, Michele said he has been thinking about the Renaissance and the 1970s. And so, on an aristo-democratic set, with printed carpets contrasting against the backdrop of a disused train-depot, Michele sent his army of Gucci girls down the runway (an old train platform) in an atmosphere that felt something like a metaphor for Italian regeneration.

"It's a big trip! Of course I am interested in personal style and quirkiness. There are things here that look vintage, but don't really exist as vintage-it's the illusion of it. I'm not nostalgic! I'd like to shake it up again" said Michele backstage.

Shake it up, he did. Referencing Chinoiserie, Egyptian imagery and a mix of sport and street, Michele combined an amplified mix of references which in-turn resulted in a surprisingly cohesive collection.

Michele said his aim was to be "free in the idea of beauty" an idea which materialised in his frothy fabric selection and full-on decorative romance – concepts which the designer balanced in the most remarkable way.

His references to the Renaissance materialised in the form of a key motif that appeared throughout the collection. The Carte de Tendre, a Renaissance map of an imaginary land which shows a geography entirely based around the theme of love – appeared as a print on a dress, skirt and various handbags.

Another recurring theme came in the form of snakes, which appeared curving up the back of a dress, slithering its way up the leg of a white pantsuit, and in meticulous detail, the hand painted snakes made their way up the backs of wooden block heels.

Michele's nerdification of Gucci called for backless loafers with dainty glittery dresses and frothy frocks. Dresses, pants and skirts were given a hint of the heritage brand's signature identifiers, keeping the DNA woven into the collection in subtly significant ways: A Gucci-green lace dress with a red striped waist, floral overprinted logo coat, and a plethora of bags and shoes that paid homage to the iconography of Gucci. Discover the collection in full via our gallery below...